Art of knitting stockings



(Model.)

W. ESTY.

ART 0F KNITTING sToeKINes.

Patented July 22, 1884.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM EsrY, on LAcoNIA, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

ART OF KNITTING STOCKINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Parent No. 302,388, dated July 22, 1884.

Application filed July 27, 1883.

conia, in the county of Belknap and State of" New Hampshire, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Art of Knitting Stock ings, of which the following, taken in connecl' tion with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to the art of knitting stockings by machinery; and it consists in an improved process of knitting and completing full-fashioned stockings,which will be best understood by reference to the description of the drawings, and to the claim to be hereinafter given.

' Figure l of the drawings is an elevation of a portion of a web of tubular stocking-blanks illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a partial elevation of the stocking-blank knit in accordance with my mode, after it has been separated from the continuous tube; and Fig. 3 is an elevation of the finished stocking.

L represents the leg, F the foot, T the toe, and H the heel, of a stocking made by my improved process. This method of knitting stockings maybe carried out upon a machine adapted for making tubular work. Aportion of the tube having been knitof a width equal to the widest or upper portion of the leg L, I first throw out of action the needles containing the stitches from a tob, Fig. 1, and cast off the stitches therefrom. Two or three courses may then be knit with the remaining needles, to afford a convenient space for cutting the stockings apart. I then throw out of action onehalf of the remainingneedles, or those carrying the stitches from c to d, and with the needles containing the stitches on the line d c knit the toe-bulge T, narrowing from e to f, and then widening again from j' to g, and at the same time uniting the narrowed and widened edges along the line d h. The needles carrying the stitches on the line c cl are then brought into action, and a tube is knit to form the foot F, said tube being knit of an even width until the point t' is reached, when the tube is gradually widened by bringing into action some of the needles which were first thrown out, the widening being continued from i to j, thus forming in the center, widthwise of the bottom of the foot, the gusset 7c, for the purpose of increasing the width of the stocking at the heel and Inak- (Modei.)

ing it conform more nearly in shape to the foot of the wearer. The knitting has now progressed as far as the line j Z m. The needles which carry the stitches on the line Zm are now thrown outlof action, and the needles which carry the stitches on the line j Z continue their operation and knit the heel-bulge I'I, which is formed in the same manner as the toe-bulge T, the narrowing taking place from j to o, and the widening from o to p. The needles carrying the stitches on the line Z m are then brought into action again, and a straight tube of even width is knit to form the ankle portion until the line q r is reached, when the widening of the leg is begun and continued gradually by bringing into action the needles which carried the stitches on the line a b,and were first thrown out, until the full width of the tube forming the leg L is attained at the line s ,and the remaining or upper portion of the leg is then completed, being made of an even width and carried to thedesired length. The needles carrying the stitches along the line a b are then again thrown out of action and the operation repeated.

t In knitting the stocking-blanks as above described, I prefer to use two threads or yarns, which are fed to the needles in opposite direci tions around the circumference of the tube or stocking being knit in the manner set forth .in a previous application which I filed in the United States Patent Office on the 5th day of December, 1882, and numbered 78,452. These two yarns may be of different colors, in which case the courses which form the leg L and foot F willbe of alternate colors, thus producing a series of fine transverse stripes, the yarns crossing each other at the front and back of the leg and at the top'and bottom of the foot.

In, knitting the toe-bulge T the yarns arefed from the narrowed edge d h upon one side around the edge c f to the corresponding narrowed edge upon the opposite side of the toe, and then back again, the courses of the narrowed portion running parallel to the line d e, and the two yarns starting simultaneously from the opposite narrowed edges d h, and crossing each other upon the line cf. The otherhalf or widened portion is kuit in a similar manner, the two yarns being fed in opposite directions back and forth between the widened edges d h, upon opposite sides of the toe T, crossing each IOO other upon the line j' g. It will thus be seen that each yarn will be knit into two consecutive courses upon either side of the toe T, and if the two yarns are of diiferent colors the stripes thus produced will consist of two courses each, instead of a single course, as is the case with the leg` L and foot F.

By my improved method of knitting stockings I am enabled to produce stockings fulland then a corresponding number of like courses and widening, at the same time uniting the widened portion to the narrowed p0rtion, then throwing into action the needles last thrown out of action, then knitting a sufficient number of circulark courses to form the greater portion of the foot,` then widening for several courses upon that side of the tube 'opposite to the toe-bulge to form a gusset or gore in the io fashioned or shaped in the process of knitbottom of the foot, then knittingtheheel-bulge ting so as to conform to the foot and leg of the in the same manner as the toe-bulge,but upon 45 j wearer, and tohavebut one seam,which extends the opposite side of the tube, then knitting a around the lower half of the foot portion at the series of circular courses to form the ankle, toe, in a continuous tube or series, by a continthen widening upon the side of the tube oppo- 15 nous operation ofthe machine7 without once site to the toe-bulge till all the needles first severing the yarn, and thus a more rapid prothrown out of action are again in operation, 5o duction is effected. then knitting a series of circular courses, using By the use of the two yarns, as above dethe whole number of needles to complete the scribed, the knitting can be performed twice desired length of the leg, then throwing out of 2o as fast as when a single yarn is used, and if action and dropping the stitches from the same the two yarns are of different colors an ornaneedles that were iirst thrown out, repeating` 55 mental appearance is given to the stocking. the foregoing operations as many times as there Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure are stockings required, and then severing the by Letters Patent of the United States, is as sections and uniting by seaxning the discon- 2 5 follows: nected side of the toe-bulge to the'foot por- The process of forming full-fashioned stocktion, substantially as described. 60 "f ings,which consists in taking up the full nu1nber of stitches required to form the top of the leg, knitting a few courses, droppingaportion of the stitches, knitting a few circular courses upon the remaining needles, then throwing out of action one-half ofthe remaining needles, knitting a toe-bulge by knitting a given number of courses back and forth and narrowing,

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 25th day of July, A. D. 1833.

VILLIAM ESTY.

Vitnesses:

E. A. HmmrnNwAY, VALTER E. Lomininn. 

